Technology is a good thing. Advances in communication have allowed businesses to become more efficient and more productive. Using a tablet or smartphone we are able to instantaneously send messages to colleagues, review documents, and, simply put, get things done. However, because it is so convenient and easy to use, technology can be a distraction and have a negative impact on social relationships. A Raleigh divorce attorney has found that couples are increasingly having relationship problems that lead to divorce that are rooted in distractions caused by technology. Thus, it is imperative that families take steps to make sure that technology does not allow business to frequently creep into and infringe upon family time. Here are some ways to make sure that technology does not interfere with your family life.

No Texting Times

Agree on times and places when texting is prohibited. Dinner time is often viewed as sacrosanct family time. Whether your family is enjoying a meal at a restaurant or at home, this should be a time when electronic devices are turned off. Consider also making the bedroom, or at least the bed off limits places for work-related electronic communication. Keep the bedroom as a place for relaxation and intimacy. Just as the dinner table should be reserved exclusively for family time, the bedroom should be reserved for couple time.

Decide with your family on other times and places where work should be off limits. For example, vacations, Sundays, children’s activities such as sporting events or recitals, or any family gathering should be occasions when electronics are used only sparingly.

Minimize Colleague Connections on Social Media

Keep work and home separate by limiting the colleagues you make part of your social media networks such as Facebook. Bringing someone into your personal social media network is like having them in your home every day. You will end up sharing with them more information than you should. Furthermore, you may end up having work-related conversations with them on a social media platform that could cause friction with your significant other who is also on that platform. Instead, connect with colleagues on business-focused social media such as LinkedIn.

Keep Work Technology Separate

Do not use family technology to conduct business. A sure way to annoy members of your family is tying up the family computer by spending time on it doing work. If you must complete work at home, your employer should supply you with the tools to get it done. This means that you should have a work laptop, tablet, smartphone and whatever other gadgets you need to conduct business while you are off premises. It is not fair for you to use a family computer when you significant other wants to use it, or your child needs to use it for schoolwork.

When deciding on how to make sure that technology does not infringe upon family time, be flexible and realistic. There are certain types of jobs that do require more time than others. Unfortunately, some business will have to be conducted at home. In addition, it is easy to blame technology for tempting people to work all of the time. But there have always been workaholics as well as those whose jobs simply required them to work a lot. Prior to the existence of cell phones and tablets, prior to the proliferation of laptops at home and work, there were people who worked late hours, or who arrived home each evening with a briefcase full of work. Perhaps technology has made more people workaholics. Is the problem really that the use of technology for business is increasingly infringing upon family relationships? Doesn’t the use of technology for non-work activities negatively impact family relationships as well? A recent study shows that the rate of divorce is up and marital quality is down. Furthermore, there is a correlation to the decline in interpersonal relationships and the use of technology. Perhaps the bottom line is that families need to determine how they can maintain intimacy despite the proliferation of technology in general.

One Response to Business, Technology, and Marriage

I want to keep my electronics private among family and friends and keep all the business MOFOs out of my business.
That is what the office computer and the company phone is for. If they don’t supply that, then they don’t need to talk to me very much, do they? Fuggem.

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